Genetic variation of vascular endothelial growth factor pathway does not correlate with the severity of retinopathy of prematurity

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the genetic effects of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Study Design: A prospective study from a tertiary center that enrolled 204 Japanese infants (<35 weeks of gestational age (GA)) having no anomalies. ROP developed in 127, but not in 77 infants. The relative severity was defined as non-severe, moderate and severe ROP for GA, based on the staging criteria. VEGF (g.-634G>C, g.+13553C>T) and VEGF-receptor (KDR g.+4422(AC)11 to 14, Flt-1 c.+6724(TG)13 to 23) gene polymorphisms and clinical variables were assessed by uni/multivariate analyses. Result: The frequency of polymorphisms did not differ between ROP and non-ROP patients. The TT genotype of g.+13553 showed a higher odds ratio for non-severe ROP than CC genotype (P=0.006). Multivariate analyses indicated that low birth weight, blood transfusion and respiratory distress syndrome, but not polymorphisms, were the risk factors of advanced ROP (≥stage 3). Conclusion: A genotype of the VEGF pathway weakly affects the severity of ROP compared with other clinical factors.